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1994-02-07
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THE VIRTUAL TABLET INTERFACE
DIGITIZER TECHNOLOGY
VERSION 2.00
(January 30, 1994)
USING NOTEPAD TO VIEW THIS DOCUMENT
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
* If you enlarge NotePad to its maximum size, the following document
will be easier to read. To do so, click the Maximize button in the
upper-right corner of the NotePad window. Or open the Control menu
in the upper-left corner of the NotePad window and choose Maximize.
* To move through the document, press PAGE UP and PAGE DOWN or click
the arrows at the top and bottom of the scroll bar along the right
side of the NotePad window.
* To print the document, choose Print from the NotePad File menu.
* For Help using NotePad, press F1.
########################################################################
NOTES ON VIRTUAL TABLET INTERFACE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This document contains important information not included in the User's
Guide to the Virtual Tablet Interface or on-line Help. Topics include:
* Benefits and instructions for registration.
* Required hardware and software for installation.
* Getting help and product support.
* Installing from Windows or MS/PC DOS.
* Copying files from the installation disks.
* Required device drivers for utilities and programs.
* Conflicts with other digitizer software.
* Windows 3.1 Compatibility and Features.
* Replacement CalComp AFT Windows Library.
* Windows driver installation and configuration.
* Windows enhanced mode driver installation.
* Control Panel Applet under Windows 3.1
* Starting the Editor in other than a full window.
* Chiseled dialogs in the Editor and Loader.
* Updating the Virtual Tablet Interface.
* Removing the Virtual Tablet Interface.
########################################################################
BENEFITS AND INSTRUCTIONS FOR REGISTRATION
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As a registered owner of the Virtual Tablet Interface, you receive
the following benefits:
* Fully registered program disk(s) and printed manual.
* Unlimited use of the product and free minor updates.
* Notices and discounts (50%) on major version updates.
To register, simply select Register from the startup screen of any
driver, utility or application. You will be presented with a form to
complete and mail along cash, check or money order drawn on a US bank
for US $65.00 to: Digitizer Technology Company, 16541 Redmond Way,
Suite 195C, Redmond, WA 98052. Your order will be processed
immediately and the software mailed within one week.
Washington State residents please add 8.2% sales tax. All orders add
US $3.50 shipping and handling. Purchase orders accepted for an
additional US $5.00 per order. No credit card orders. COD available
upon request. Allow 1-2 weeks for delivery.
REQUIRED HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE FOR INSTALLATION
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The following hardware is required to install and use the Virtual
Tablet Interface drivers, utilities and programs:
* Any Summagraphics, CalComp, Kurta, GTCO, Wacom, Numonics, Houston
Instruments, Kontron, Science Accessories, AceCad, Hitachi or
compatible digitizer.
* A 80386 microprocessor or higher.
* A VGA display system or higher.
* MS or PC DOS 5.0 or higher.
* Microsoft Windows 3.1 or higher.
GETTING HELP AND PRODUCT SUPPORT
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you need technical assistance, you may send electronic mail to
Digitizer Technology on CompuServe at account [74000, 2506]. Please
include your registration number and a full description of the
problem or request that will be responded to within one working day
(sometimes one hour!). This is the fastest and preferred method of
obtaining help from Digitizer Technology.
If you need telephone assistance, you may call Digitizer Technology
Monday-Friday at (206) 868-3246 between 8:00 am and 6:00 pm, Pacific
Standard Time. Please have your registration number ready and a copy
of your WIN.INI, SYSTEM.INI, AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files along
with information on the circumstances in which the problem occurred.
If you would like to mail your questions or comments to Digitizer
Technology, we can be reached at: Digitizer Technology Company, 16541
Redmond Way, Suite 195C, Redmond, WA 98052.
INSTALLING FROM WINDOWS OR MS/PC DOS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To run the SETUP.EXE utility from within DOS, enter the command line
below at the DOS prompt:
WIN [drive:] SETUP.EXE
Or, if you are already running Windows, enter the command line below
in response to the Run command from the Program Manager:
[drive:] SETUP.EXE
COPYING FILES FROM THE INSTALLATION DISKS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The files on the Virtual Tablet Interface installation disks are
compressed and are not usable until expanded. The SETUP.EXE utility
expands the compressed files as it copies them onto your hard disk.
The Windows expand utility and other public domain compression
programs will not work with the installation files since they contain
proprietary compression and error correction codes.
REQUIRED DEVICE DRIVERS FOR UTILITIES AND PROGRAMS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You must install the Windows dynamic link library VTABLET.DLL to install
and use the Virtual Tablet Editor and Virtual Tablet Loader. However,
you do not have to make it the Windows mouse driver unless you intend
to use your digitizer as the Windows mouse.
CONFLICTS WITH OTHER DIGITIZER SOFTWARE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SETUP.EXE may not detect other types of digitizer drivers and
software running under Windows or DOS. This will often show up as the
error "Com Port Missing" reported on the 'Status=' line in the
[Virtual Tablet] section of SYSTEM.INI.
If you are installing the Virtual Tablet Interface over other
digitizer software, make sure that software is disabled before
installation. Refer to the software manual for those products and
check your AUTOEXEC.BAT, CONFIG.SYS, WIN.INI and SYSTEM.INI files.
WINDOWS 3.1 COMPATIBILITY AND FEATURES
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
VTABLET.DLL requires Windows 3.1 whether specified as the mouse
pointer or not. However, there are some subtle differences in its
behavior depending on how it is loaded...
A. If loaded as the mouse pointer, then the virtual tablet will
function as the mouse input device, execute template pointers and
allow tracing.
B. If loaded as the pen tablet, the virtual tablet will function as the
pen input device, execute template pointers and allow tracing.
C. If loaded as an installable driver, the virtual tablet will function
as a mouse input device, execute template pointers and tracing.
In sum, the Windows driver can do just about anything you want it to
whether you have another input device and how you load it. The best
solution is to load it as the mouse pointer or the pen tablet if you
have Pen Windows. If you have a mouse (and want to use it) but don't
have Pen Windows, try loading it just as an installable driver.
REPLACEMENT CALCOMP AFT WINDOWS LIBRARY
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Provided on disk or in VtExes.Zip is a replacement Windows library
for the CalComp 33000 digitizers used by some Windows applications
for reading pressure and other Advanced Function Technology (AFT)
values. This file, CAL33WIN.DLL, is automatically installed by the
Setup program if you install the Windows Drivers.
You do not need a CalComp tablet to use the library which can provide
additional information to applications for any digitizer supported by
the Virtual Tablet Interface. Note that this replacement file is NOT
compatible with CalComp's other Windows drivers and utilities. You
should remove or disable other CalComp's drivers before installing
this library or the Virtual Tablet Interface.
WINDOWS DRIVER CONFIGURATION
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
VTABLET.DLL provides the interface between Microsoft Windows and the
digitizer. The library may be specified as the Windows mouse driver
or loaded independently by Windows applications and supports the
following functions: mouse driver, Pen Windows driver, template
manager and trace input.
Upon loading, the driver looks in the SYSTEM.INI file under the
[Virtual Tablet] heading for the following information which may be
modified by the user (note some information is required):
Port=n Use serial communications port n where n is between 1-4.
The default is com1 (1).
Type=n Select digitizing tablet n corresponding to the tablet
identifiers defined in Digitizers Supported. This required
parameter must be a valid tablet number.
Position=n Sets absolute or relative positioning (absolute=0 or
relative=1). This value is ignored under Pen Windows and
defaults to absolute.
Reset=n Disables the driver from resetting the tablet upon
startup if (n=0). The default is (n=1) which sends a reset
command to the tablet each time the driver loads.
Rate=n Sets the report rate n where 0=Auto, 1=Slow, 2=Medium and
2=Fast. The default is Auto (0) which sets the rate to
Medium under Windows and High under Pen Windows.
Rotate=n Sets the orientation in one of four, clock-wise,
ninety-degree steps including None (0), right (90), bottom
(180) and left (270). The default is None (0).
Accelerate=n Sets the acceleration in relative mode where 0=None,
1=Low, 2=Medium and 3=High. Acceleration is applied
before Sensitivity and defaults to Low (1).
Sensitivity=n Sets the sensitivity in relative mode in 0.10 increments
between 0.00=Stop and 1.00=One. Sensitivity default to
0.50 and is applied after Acceleration.
Masks=s Sets button mapping. Changes to this entry should
only be made from the Control Panel Applet. Deleting
this entry disables mapping and returns you to normal
operation.
Brushes=s Sets air brushing. Changes to this entry should only be
made from the Control Panel Applet. Deleting this entry
disables air brushing and returns you to normal operation.
HorzOffset, Sets the clipping area. Changes to these entries should
VertOffset, only be made from the Control Panel Applet. Deleting
HorzExtent, these entries removes clipping returning you to normal
VertExtent operation.
VTABLET.DLL will fail to load if the configuration information in the
SYSTEM.INI file is incorrect. All errors encountered in loading are
written to the SYSTEM.INI file under the topic [Virtual Tablet] on
the line beginning with 'Status='. Normal loading sets this entry to
'Status=OK'.
WINDOWS ENHANCED MODE DRIVER INSTALLATION
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The enhanced mode Windows driver, VTABLET.386, provides a significant
performance improvement and works with VTABLET.DLL. Setup will
install this driver for you in the [386Enh] section of SYSTEM.INI by
adding the statement 'device={path}VTABLET.386'. This driver
virtualizes the Com port listed under the [Virtual Tablet] section
of SYSTEM.INI and redirects tablet interrupts into VTABLET.DLL
despite how it is loaded.
If entries in [Virtual Tablet] are incorrect, VTABLET.386 may not
load (nor should VTABLET.DLL) but cannot output user diagnostic
messages. The error, after attempting to load VTABLET.DLL, can be
found on the 'Status=' line under [Virtual Tablet] in SYSTEM.INI.
CONTROL PANEL APPLET
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you have installed VTABLET.DLL as the mouse driver, pen driver or
an installable driver, the Control Panel will display an icon that
can be used to configure the driver. After selecting it, a dialog
for the virtual tablet is displayed.
The Virtual Tablet Applet allows you to configure the Virtual Tablet
Interface Windows device driver for such functions as: digitizer
type, report rate, rotation, button mapping, air brushes,
sensitivity, acceleration, positioning, interrupts and clipping. In
addition, it provides real-time statistics on how the driver is
performing allowing you to tune or diagnose the driver for a
particular configuration. If you are not sure how to use dialog
boxes, refer to the Window's User Guide.
CHISELED DIALOGS IN THE EDITOR AND LOADER
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Editor and Loader support "chiseled" dialog boxes with the
background set to the Windows button face color. If you have a laptop
or want to disable this feature, add the line "ChiselDialogs=0" to
the [Common] section of VTABLET.INI for both the Editor and Loader.
STARTING THE EDITOR IN OTHER THAN A FULL WINDOW
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
By default, the Editor starts maximized to the full screen size
unless loaded specifically as an icon. To load the Editor normally,
insert 'Maximized=0' under the section [Options] in the configuration
file VTABLET.INI using a text editor or Windows NotePad.
UPDATING THE VIRTUAL TABLET INTERFACE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From time to time, updated versions of the Virtual Tablet Interface
will be posted on public bulletin boards such as CompuServe, etc. If
you are a registered user, you may download minor version updates and
install them on your system. Note this only applies to minor, not
major, version updates. You must upgrade major versions directly from
Digitizer Technology for a modest fee.
To upgrade your registered version, download the new files to a
temporary directory and run SETUP.EXE from your registered disk, NOT
the downloaded evaluation version of SETUP.EXE. Choose "Update" in
the setup options and then, when prompted, fill in the directory
where the new version files are located.
Do not attempt to update drivers and utilities that have not been
previously installed. Install them first from your registered disk
and then update over them as described above. Also, it is not a good
idea to copy the new files to your registered disk and then run
SETUP.EXE. If you do, and there are any problems with the newer
version, you will be unable to restore the previous version.
REMOVING THE VIRTUAL TABLET INTERFACE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you need to remove part or all of the installed files from your
system, select Remove instead of Install from within the SETUP.EXE
program. Removing Virtual Tablet Interface files cannot be undone with
DOS 5.0 or other undelete commands. Reinstall the files instead.
If you are removing the Virtual Tablet Interface because you are
dissatisfied, please let us know the reasons why and we'll do our
best to correct any problems.
########################################################################